Dr. Boyce Ley said your best bet is to start with your primary care physician. Don’t have one? Chances are you’ll find one you totally connect with at TMC One. Your physician will typically order breast imaging. A mammogram and ultrasound can solve many questions without escalating it to a breast specialist.

When should your first call be to a breast specialist? If you notice changes with your nipple or if your breast has suddenly changed color, size, shape or texture. Dr. Boyce Ley said she often sees women who, upon finding an abnormal mass in their breast, instantly jump to a worst case scenario – “who will take care of my kids when I die?” She advises women in this situation to keep this in mind: “Most of the time, it’s not going to be cancer,” said Dr. Boyce Ley, “but that still means you should pursue it. Even if you have an abnormal screening mammogram, the chance of finding a cancer is very small. A majority of the time, we may need to do further testing but oftentimes it turns out to be something benign like a cyst or overlapping breast tissue. Those are the two most common things we find.”

The take away message: Statistically, it’s unlikely that the mass you feel is going to be cancer.
If it is cancer, it’s likely small and easily treatable.

If the initial imaging shows the mass is benign, but your physician recommends a biopsy, Dr. Boyce Ley said it’s not a bad idea to get a second opinion before getting a biopsy. Sometimes the recommendation to biopsy may differ from physician to physician and some things can be followed with imaging and exams. You may feel an urgency to get an answer but taking your time to make a good choice is important. However, Dr. Boyce Ley cautioned that if a biopsy is recommended for you, follow through with it because it could save your life.

“So many women come in with ideas that they’ve gotten from their friends and neighbors instead of medical professionals. They’ve already decided that they’re dying or that they need a double mastectomy. As a breast surgeon, it can be very hard to unwind that thinking. Is it important to get into someone quickly? Yes. But breast cancer is not an emergency. A difference of one or two days – even a week – is not going to make a difference with your treatment. In the age of quick information that we live in, while it’s possible to find information easily, it’s not necessarily helpful.” Dr. Boyce Ley gave this advice: “Get the facts. Figure out your options. And then come up with a game plan that’s best for YOU.”

Dr. Boyce Ley is accepting new patients!She is located at 2625 N Craycroft Rd #201.Call (520) 324-BRST (2778) to make an appointment.

To schedule a mammogram, call (520) 324-2075. For more information about our free mammogram program for uninsured women, call the TMC for Women Breast Center at
(520) 324-1286 to review qualifications and schedule an appointment.